American Heritage has Sharpe edge

LAKELAND — Paris Sharpe did not come to Lakeland to lose.

The American Heritage star, who transferred to the Patriots after losing in the state semifinals with Cardinal Gibbons last year, was not going to be denied in her senior year.

Sharpe scored 23 points to lead American Heritage to its second straight state title, helping the Patriots beat Jacksonville Bishop Kenny 58-40 in the Class 6A girls basketball state title game at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland on Thursday.

“I was a little nervous before I came out,” Sharpe said. “But when I stepped on this court, I was [like] I’ve got to shut this down. We’ve got to win. I didn’t come here to lose.”

Sharpe scored nine of her points in the first quarter as the Patriots dominated early, going up 18-2 and ending the first quarter with a 20-6 lead.

“She was a beast,” American Heritage coach Greg Farias said.

But a rough second quarter allowed the Crusaders to stay in the game, and the Patriots went into the locker room with a 26-15 lead.

American Heritage got back on track in the second half, outscoring Bishop Kenny 21-8 and putting the game away.

“We battled all the way through,” Farias said, “and having the toughest schedule in the regular season helped us for games like this.”

Farias’ second title team looks different from the one that won the program’s first title last year, with key players gone for graduation. But Sharpe and the young core that includes sophomores Taliyah Wyche, who scored 11 points, and Daniella Aronsky, who had eight, carried the team.